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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for Portugal with a injury-time winner in their World Cup encounter against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

Neves headed home during added time to secure a narrow victory, several seasons after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F games having yielded only a single draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by picking up their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave his team the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in late added time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a neat shot in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their dominant qualifying group run with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The result extended the European champions’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the match with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.